When people are at the computer, driving, or sitting for an extended period of time, they begin to develop a forward rolling shoulder complex which is known as “protracted shoulder girdle,” or more commonly, “poor posture”.
It has been recognized that poor shoulder and upper body posture without effective counter measures such as exercise or stretching induces shortening of the muscle groups in the chest forward segments of the shoulder, and lengthening and weakness in the muscle of the neck, shoulders and upper back. These structural anomalies lead to stiffness, pain, fatigue and other ailments. Good posture, on the other hand, is associated with greater energy, and improved mood and enhanced confidence. Individuals with good posture are also perceived as more authoritative and better looking.
There have been various attempts to provide postural braces for a user to wear to passively correct posture. Such posture systems are not optimal because they cannot be easily put on or removed (they may involve difficult closures, or require difficult reaching to properly position) and may be uncomfortable to wear (overly binding or “creeping,” hot, or sweaty). In addition, such devices can be obtrusive and unsightly, which lessens a user's enthusiasm for wearing them (or for wearing them frequently, as may be needed for a consistent effect).
Such devices are also single dimensional (in that they do not serve any purpose other than to passively counteract a user's poor posture). The user does not actively engage with the device, and therefore only experiences some passive relief from or bracing to correct the poor posture, and would not typically achieve a lasting stretching or strengthening of muscles needed to independently maintain good posture. Further, such devices, when unintegrated with a separate exercise protocol for retraining muscles related to poor posture, typically provide minimal results. Such prior art devices also require or enforce lengthy wear-times for postural reinforcement.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a device which can be used both actively and passively to correct and retrain poor posture.